The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-01-27
The Interstate Commerce Bin.

i -Ao COuIIGIC9 BIZ.
The Interstate Commerce bin, as agreed
upon by the Conference Committee, passed
the House on Friday by a vote of 2l9 to
IL. and now goes to the President
Ut The Virginia representatives Messrs.
! Barbour, Brady, Cabell. CroXton. Daniel,
| O'Ferrall, Trigg and Tucker voted ave,
and Nj. Libby no. Mr., Wise was NOT - re- e.
corded as voting. In the Senate, Mr.. Ma
hone voted no, and Mr. Riddleberger was
absent.
The bill in the first section, applies the
provisions Of this act to any common car
rier engaged in the transportation of pas
sengers wholly by railroad or partly by
railroad and partly by water, when both
are under q common control. manage
ment, or arrangement, through more than
one State Or Territory, or from any place
| in the United States to an adjacent for
| eign country. 1t defines the term rail
road" to include all bridges and ferries
| under or operated by any railroad. All
charges made for any service rendered in
transportation OF passengers or property
shall be reasonable and just. and every I'M
just and unreasonable charge for such ser
vice is prohibited and declared to be I'M
lawful.
carrier subject to the provisions Of this act to
charge, demand. collect, or receive, directly or
indirectly from any person or persons q great
er or less compensation for any service rem
deIed in the transportation of passengers or
property than it charges, demands collects or
doing for him OF them like and contemporaries
Gus service in transportation of like kind of
traffic under substantially similar GIRO unstan-
ceS and conditions.
Section makes it unlawful for any common
carrier subject to the provisions of this act to
make or give any undue or unreasonable pref
erence or advantage to any particular person,
company, firm. corporations or locality. or any
particular description of traffic. Every COM
mon carrier subject to the provisions of this
act shall according Eco, to their respective,
and equal faeilltes for the Interchange of traffic
between their respective lines and Tor receiv-
ing, forwarding. and delivery of passengers
and property to and from their several lines
and those connecting herewith; and shall not
tween such connecting lines.
Section and (long and Shorthand and
pooling sections) are as follows :
Section 4. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the provisions OF
th is act to charge or receive any greater COM
pensation in the aggregate for The Transports
ton OF passengers or OF like kind of property.
under substantially similar circumstances and
conditions, for a shorter than for a longer dis
lance over the same line in the same direc.
ton, the shorter being included within longer
distances but this shall Tot be construed as
authoflzlng any common carrier within the
term OF this act to charge and receive as great
compensation for o shorter as for a longer dis
NNtON''
cation TO the commission appointed under the
provisions of this act such common carrier
may, III special cases after investigation by
the commission, be authorized to charge less
for the transportation OF passengers or proper.
ty, and the commission may from time TO
time prescribe the extent TO which such desig-
mated common carrier may be relieved from
the operation OF this section.
Section 5. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the pro visions Of
this act to enter into any contract, agreement
or combination VITA any other common carrier
or carriers for the pooling of reights of differ
ent and competing railroads, or to divide be-
tween them the aggregate or net proceeds of
the earnings of such railroads or any portioil
thereof !; and in any of agreement for
pooling OF ffeights aforesaid each day of its
cont1n uance shall be deemed q separate Of
fence.
Section 6 requires that after ninety days
from the passage OF the act every common
carrier subject TO it's provisions Shall have
printed and keep for public inspection
schedules showing its rates, fares, and
charges, and in addition requiring the
railroads to give them publicity at all of
the depots on their several lines. 1t gives
authority to the commission, where it is
proper and necessary. to require them to
give publicity to their rates TO other places
beyond the lines Of their several railroads
1t also provides that rates, fares, and
charges shall not be raised, except after
ten days of public notice, but that they
may be reduced without previous public
notice. The notice. however, shall be
simultaneously with the reduction itself
Section Z makes it unlawful for any
common carrier to enter into any COM
blnatlon or any agreement to prevent the
carriage OF freights from being continu-
GUS from the place OF shipment to the
place of destination.
Section s declares that any common
carrier violating the Grovisions Of the act |
shall be liable to the person or persons in |
jured thereby for the full amount of dam
ages sustained in consequence of such vi
olatiou. together with reasonable counsel
or attorneys fees.
The 9th section provides that persons
claiming to have been damaged by the ac-
ton OF common carriers may proceed for
the recovery of their damages either in the
courts of the United States or before the I
Commission herein provided for, but not |
before both tribunals.
The 10th section makes it a penal offence T
to violate any of the provisions of this act,
and puts the maximum Of the fine which
may be imposed at the sum of S., 000
The eleven following sections contain
the commission features OF the bill. They
provide for commission to consist of five
persons, whose term of Office shall 0e for
six years, except for the first appoint
ments, which are to be for two, three,
loul, HV6 1iu six years. L 1T mem DSTS OF |
this commission are to be appointed by
the President, by and with the advice of
the Senate. Their principal Office shall be
in Washington, but they may hold sessions
at other places than Washington, and
a single member of the commission may
take testimony anywhere as may be direc.
ted by the commission. These commits
sioners have salaries of 81 500 each. The
has power to appoint secre-
tary with an annual salary OF So, 500, and
has authority to employ and fix the
compensation of such other employees as
it may find necessary to the proper per-
Torrance of its duties to the approval of
the Secretary of the Interior.
Section p provides that nothing con-
tanned in this act shall abridge the rene
dies now existing atany common law orby
statute.
Section % appropriates 800 900 for the
purpose of this act for the fiscal year en-
ding June so, 1888.
Section "a provides that the frovisions
of section II and Is of this act relating to
the appointment and organization of Che
commission herein provided for shall take
effect Immediately, and the remaining
provisions of this act shall take effect
sixty days after date.